NCL Travel Insurance & Gratuities

[Thisisliving]

We just booked an NCL MED cruise and when I saw my documentation, I noticed she had charged us $300 for NCL's travel insurance. I also noticed for our free UAP, my husband and I were both charged $99 each.

 

I called NCL yesterday to get their $300 travel protection insurance off. Yes, I want travelers insurance but I want more and better coverage and I've never paid $300 for a policy!! They said I can't take it off because I paid in full. The girl I spoke to never even asked me about the insurance, yet it was on my documentation. She said I see her notes here that she said she did mention it to you. Long story short - she didn't because as soon as we got off the phone with her I told my husband, we need to look into getting travel insurance.

 

Also, being charged $99 each for the UAP seems excessive. I took their free plan because it was offered but I can honestly tell you I've never tipped $200 on a cruise before for alcohol.

 

Being told by the NCL girl last night that travel insurance was mentioned to me and it wasn't makes me very annoyed. They are basically calling me a liar. I told her the calls are recorded, you can listen to it and she said she could not do that.

 

I was very kind on the phone to her as I know it's not her fault, I just feel that NCL has really pulled the wool over our eyes for charging us for the insurance which we did not say we wanted and also not telling us about the $99 tip charge for drinks. I don't mind paying for insurance that is good or for tipping fairly, I just don't like to be steam rolled! Sorry NCL, you might have lost us as a customer forever.

[cb at sea]

With beverage packages, the tip is 18% of the COST of the package.... If you were to buy each drink separately, you would have 18% of the cost of the drink added to the bill.... How much was each package? Is $99 18% of that cost?

 

You should have been asked if you wanted the cruise line's insurance....we always decline the line's coverage, and buy our own, if we need it.

[Thisisliving]

With beverage packages, the tip is 18% of the COST of the package.... If you were to buy each drink separately, you would have 18% of the cost of the drink added to the bill.... How much was each package? Is $99 18% of that cost?

 

You should have been asked if you wanted the cruise line's insurance....we always decline the line's coverage, and buy our own, if we need it.

 

CB,

 

I'm not sure what the cost of the drink package was as we had an offer to take something for free and that was the one we choose. It probably is 18% of the cost but the girl should have mentioned the $99 charge. We still would have done it but to see it show up after the fact was a shock. I can get past this issue.

 

What I can't get past is being lied to about the travelers insurance. She absolutely did NOT ask us if we wanted it. Also to pay $300 for insurance, that is insane. We've cruised many, many times and I've never paid that much. Not sure why they wont take it off as I just booked the cruise on Sat. Being called a liar by NCL is a major slap in the face.

[ColinIllinois]

As far as the UBP goes, it's always a good idea for everyone who books a cruise and gets promos to do some research on their own and at a minimum read the Terms and Conditions of what you are getting. You would have known about the 18% by taking a few minutes to read them.

 

Are you within final payment time on your cruise?

Edited August 3, 2016 by ColinIllinois

[el820]

CB,

 

I'm not sure what the cost of the drink package was as we had an offer to take something for free and that was the one we choose. It probably is 18% of the cost but the girl should have mentioned the $99 charge. We still would have done it but to see it show up after the fact was a shock. I can get past this issue.

 

What I can't get past is being lied to about the travelers insurance. She absolutely did NOT ask us if we wanted it. Also to pay $300 for insurance, that is insane. We've cruised many, many times and I've never paid that much. Not sure why they wont take it off as I just booked the cruise on Sat. Being called a liar by NCL is a major slap in the face.

 

If NCL in fact never mentioned to you about the insurance cost during your booking, I would escalate matter. Give them the time of your conversation and they should be able to pull the recorded call. Good luck.

[buffyangel2000]

NCL also charged me travel insurance, but no one else that is cruising with me got charged.

[Turtles06]

If NCL in fact never mentioned to you about the insurance cost during your booking, I would escalate matter. Give them the time of your conversation and they should be able to pull the recorded call. Good luck.

 

I totally agree.

 

I recall one recent booking confirmation in which NCL had automatically added travel insurance; I immediately told my PCC to remove it. (We always buy insurance, just not from the cruise line.)

 

One thing for the OP: you say you have paid already, but did you not walk through what you were paying for with the rep? E.g., the per person cruise fare? The amount added to that for taxes/port charges? I hope you did not just agree to pay some lump sum without knowing what went into it.

 

Good luck!

[Thisisliving]

You are ALL so helpful!! To answer your questions:

 

I have never booked directly with a cruise line so it was done differently than before and the girl definitely "rushed" the process. Yes, we paid in full so when she was ringing through the charge I had to ask her "can you please repeat the dates we choose". She was just ready to book us and I wanted her to confirm what we had purchased and the dates and itinerary.

 

Yes, I should have investigated that there would be a tipping charge for the alcohol but as I mentioned, it would not have been that big of a deal had I known. We still would have gone with that package.

 

I asked to downgrade to a balcony vs a mini suite to help with the additional cost of what we were charged and again she said "well you paid in full so we can't do it". Apparently paying in full is not the way to go!

 

She absolutely did not mention the travel insurance because if she said the cost of $300, I would have fallen off my seat. I have the travel insurance doc in front of me and I am able to send them a letter stating I want it off and I have 10 days to do so. I will mail it today and hope that they respond back with a refund. I will be getting travel insurance but for $300, the coverage should be much better. Again, thank you everyone for your help and your responses.

[mom2tcdx2]

Paying in full has nothing to do with being able to cancel. The question is are you past the 90 day final payment window. If you aren't then you can completely cancel the booking and get a refund. If you are past that window (you don't tell us when the cruise date actually is), then they may be right.

 

Though I have never phoned a cruise line over the phone without already knowing the prices offered on their website and every rep has always gone over every detail with us as to what the final charges were.

[daffodiliaz]

Deleted. What the previous poster said.

Edited August 3, 2016 by AWENINAZ

[NLH Arizona]

We just booked an NCL MED cruise and when I saw my documentation, I noticed she had charged us $300 for NCL's travel insurance. I also noticed for our free UAP, my husband and I were both charged $99 each.

 

I called NCL yesterday to get their $300 travel protection insurance off. Yes, I want travelers insurance but I want more and better coverage and I've never paid $300 for a policy!! They said I can't take it off because I paid in full.

 

Just wondering, since you paid in full, didn't you notice the travel insurance on the cruise confirmation when you paid? Why didn't you ask for it to be taken off prior to your final payment?

[Cakediva1]

NCL almost got me with the travel insurance as well. The agent went over the cruise info just before she put my payment through and when she mentioned the travel insurance fee I kindly asked for her to remove it. They go into their sales pitch about the reasons to have it blah blah... I again said no thank you. Now when I received my invoice, I noticed the charge was still there. I called and asked them to remove the fee as I stated before and to send me an updated invoice. No prob. Got an updated invoice via email with 5 minutes. Everything is A-OK.

[paharfme]

Am I allowed to ask where you folks purchase your insurance? We usually book 9-12 months out and you never know what life will bring in between so the insurance is always a good idea, I didn't know you could book 'third party' insurance! I'd love to look into that, just wondering if it's ok to inquire who you all have used for consideration on my next trip. Thanks!

 

 

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[Cakediva1]

I get my travel insurance as a benefit through my employer

[sanger727]

You are ALL so helpful!! To answer your questions:

 

I have never booked directly with a cruise line so it was done differently than before and the girl definitely "rushed" the process. Yes, we paid in full so when she was ringing through the charge I had to ask her "can you please repeat the dates we choose". She was just ready to book us and I wanted her to confirm what we had purchased and the dates and itinerary.

 

Yes, I should have investigated that there would be a tipping charge for the alcohol but as I mentioned, it would not have been that big of a deal had I known. We still would have gone with that package.

 

I asked to downgrade to a balcony vs a mini suite to help with the additional cost of what we were charged and again she said "well you paid in full so we can't do it". Apparently paying in full is not the way to go!

 

She absolutely did not mention the travel insurance because if she said the cost of $300, I would have fallen off my seat. I have the travel insurance doc in front of me and I am able to send them a letter stating I want it off and I have 10 days to do so. I will mail it today and hope that they respond back with a refund. I will be getting travel insurance but for $300, the coverage should be much better. Again, thank you everyone for your help and your responses.

 

Right, as others said, paying in full has nothing to do with whether or not you can switch from a mini-suite to a balcony. It is based on the date. If full payment was due, they wouldn't have given you a choice and no, you can't downgrade cabins. Otherwise, as long as you just chose to pay in full but it wasn't the pay in full date yet (did they give you an option to pay a deposit? When is your cruise). There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be able to downgrade cabins. It sounds like the girl you talked to during booking is terrible and just trying to upsell you at every turn. Maybe try calling back for someone else/supervisor?

[Sauer-kraut]

Am I allowed to ask where you folks purchase your insurance? We usually book 9-12 months out and you never know what life will bring in between so the insurance is always a good idea, I didn't know you could book 'third party' insurance! I'd love to look into that, just wondering if it's ok to inquire who you all have used for consideration on my next trip. Thanks!

 

InsureMyTrip.com

[SteelMagnolia9]

Also, being charged $99 each for the UAP seems excessive. I took their free plan because it was offered but I can honestly tell you I've never tipped $200 on a cruise before for alcohol.

 

You can call NCL and ask them to switch your promo to another that does not have a service charge (wifi or shore excursion credit). Some have had success with that. If they will not do that, you can always tell them you want to decline the promo - you are not required to take it. Without the promo would you spend $200 in beverages during the cruise? If you would not spend at least $200, then the promo is not a benefit for you.

[Medtech2]

Am I allowed to ask where you folks purchase your insurance? We usually book 9-12 months out and you never know what life will bring in between so the insurance is always a good idea, I didn't know you could book 'third party' insurance! I'd love to look into that, just wondering if it's ok to inquire who you all have used for consideration on my next trip. Thanks!

 

 

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Allianz

[bornintheville]

You can ask to speak with a supervisor. The calls are recorded, the supervisor can pull and review the call.